Taehyung's world seemed to have frozen. It was as though someone had hit the pause button and immobilized everything around them. The only thing he could feel at the moment was Arang's lips grazing against his. What... what was going on? Why was she kissing him? Then it hit the boy like a ton of bricks. Did Arang like him as well? If this was the case, then shouldn't he tell her that his feelings were mutual?

It was only fair.

Allowing his eyes to shut at last, Taehyung turned to lie on his side and moved in closer. Next, he secured a hand on the back of Arang's neck and deepened the kiss.

Was this a dream? He was actually responding to her kiss? Arang's body flooded with relief. This was a confirmation, wasn't it? Maybe there was hope for the two of them after all. As they finally broke apart to catch their breaths, Taehyung caressed Arang's cheek and gazed into her eyes, the corners of his lips curved upwards. "I've got you hooked now, don't I, So Arang?" He whispered in a slightly arrogant manner. She wasn't upset with him though. She knew he was harmlessly teasing her.

That one phrase echoed in her head and she bit back a smile. Back then she might have laughed at the mere thought of liking Taehyung, however, now it was a completely different story. He was right. She was hooked, like a fish on a line and she didn't mind. But since he wanted to tease her, she decided that she wasn't going to disclose her innermost thoughts so easily.

Arang swatted his hand away and sat up. Why was her face scalding hot? Oh yeah. She had just experienced her first real kiss and the guy she was interested in didn't seem the least bit repulsed by what had happened.

She cleared her throat and scoffed out loud. "As if," she denied.

Taehyung chuckled and followed suit. "Are you sure about that?" He questioned, highly amused. It was clear that he found the situation entertaining. Despite her abrupt change in behavior, he was aware that So Arang was not the type of person who acted recklessly. She was not the kind of girl that would lock lips with just anybody and proceed to feign innocence.

This meant that she was trying to trick him! He wasn't going to fall for it. He'd be an idiot if he did. The kiss she initiated had to be significant; there must have been a reason for her to do something so brazen. The only logical explanation he could come up with was that her heart was a reflection of his own.

She whipped her head toward his direction and stuck her nose up into the air. "What about you?" She countered. "If you asked me, it seems like I'm the one that's got you hooked."

"You do." He answered immediately, without a single sign of reluctance, which definitely caught the girl off guard.

"What?" Arang swallowed, dumbfounded. She didn't think Taehyung was going to be this straightforward with her.

Taehyung leaned in, a smug smirk swinging on his lips. The intimate distance caused Arang to shrink away. She was still an ordinary girl. It was normal for her to be shy and flustered because of the person she fancied. Unfortunately for her, she was not able to increase the distance since Taehyung refused to let her. "Now it's your turn." He declared.

She swallowed as she tried to steady her excited heart. "My turn to do what?"

How long was she going to keep denying it? The boy quirked a brow. Although his exterior was suave, internally speaking, he was going insane with happiness. Over the years, many girls from his school have professed their undying love to him. He was flattered, of course. Some of them were pretty, too.

However, the girls would always use social media as the medium of exchange. None of them ever mustered the courage to talk to Taehyung in person which was why he never thought twice about them. How could they love him when they've never even spoken before?

This—this was the first time a girl was ever brave enough to approach him. Despite the lag with the verbal confession, Arang's kiss was all Taehyung needed to realize that she was, in fact, purging her innermost feelings to him. Why else would she kiss him? If she wasn't going to tell him what he already knew, he would force it out of her one way or another. "To admit that I've got you hooked," Taehyung declared candidly.

Their eyes were locked the whole time and the direct gaze made her feel dizzy. "I-I," Arang stuttered, her nerves getting the best of her. She was perfectly fine a minute ago. Why was she fumbling over her words now? She never had a problem forming coherent sentences before, especially with Taehyung. So why was she finding it rather difficult to say something—anything?

"You like me, don't you?" Taehyung questioned. His lips were currently molded into a beautiful and genuine smile. He proceeded to curl a strand of hair behind her ear and Arang flinched, not accustomed to the act. He was too close. No, that's not it. He wasn't close enough. "Well you know what? I like you, too." Taehyung pronounced at last, causing the girl to go rigid as she stared at him with her mesmerizing chocolate brown orbs.

The dazed expression on her face lengthened his smile as he pulled back and stared out into the open water. The rays from the beaming sun gave off the illusion that the ocean was sparkling. Taehyung didn't utter another word as he tried to arrange his thoughts accordingly.

What was he doing? An array of emotions was whirling around inside of him. This was the first time he had ever said such a thing to a girl. This was the first time he's actually liked a girl so much that he boldly confessed his feelings. Was he doing it right? Whatever, he would just have to be honest and tell her whatever wandered into his mind. Inhaling deeply, Taehyung continued.

"I like your sassy remarks. I like your stubbornness. I like how you pretend like you aren't nice, when you really are. I like the way you smile, especially if it's because of me, but most importantly, I like how happy you make me." He breathed as he turned back and fixed his eyes on her.

Arang was still frozen like a statue and god, did she look gorgeous with those flushed cheeks and damp hair. Her brain took a couple of minutes to comprehend his words and just as she pried her lips apart to reply, a loud hiccup slipped out instead. With eyes the size of Saturn, Arang slapped her hands over her mouth. Taehyung couldn't suppress the chuckles crawling up his throat as he shook his head.

"Hey,"—hiccup—"don't laugh."—hiccup—"It's not,"—hiccup—"funny!" She exclaimed.

"I'm not laughing because it's funny. I'm laughing because you're cute." After he realized he had called her cute out loud, a thick layer of blush settled on his face. He was as red as a ripened tomato! The compliment was such a shock to Arang that her hiccupping fit suddenly disappeared.

"What did you just say?" She lowered her hands and her heart continued to thrash around wildly behind her chest cavity.

"I didn't say anything." Taehyung fibbed, avoiding her eyes.

"You think I'm cute?" He gulped and looked at her. Her countenance was a stunned one. A second later it changed. Without warning, Arang smacked the back of his head and he yelped in pain. "What am I? A five year old? A dog? You couldn't have used a different word more suited for someone my age?" She scowled.

"Yah! My head isn't a rock! It hurts when you hit me!" He shouted while he comforted the sore spot.

"Are you sure it isn't? It would explain why you're so dense!" She retorted haughtily.

"Oh, you did not just go there." Taehyung huffed. He stood up and towered over the girl. Before she could climb to her feet, he scooped her up off of the sand and into his arms. He was now carrying her bridal-style. The abrupt action caused Arang to wrap her hands around his neck as she released a small shriek. She didn't want to fall on her butt.

"Put me down, Kim Taehyung!" She commanded as she writhed and wriggled in his hold.

"Don't worry," he smirked, a glint of mischievousness flickering behind his eyes. "I will." Then he ran into the water and Arang's jaw nearly broke off.

"What are you doing? You better not do what I think you're going to do!" The water reached his waist and he grinned handsomely at her.

"And what exactly do you think I'm going to do?" He questioned. Taehyung acted like he was going to toss her in, and instinctively, Arang clenched her eyes shut. Her arms tightened around him as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Although it felt like she was about to choke him to death, the sensation of her hot breath beating against his skin made Taehyung's heart rejoice as he smiled and held onto her. "I'm not going to throw you in." He stated.

Arang's eyes shot open as she peered up at him. "You're not lying, are you?"

"Of course not. What do you take me for?" Taehyung spun around in order to tread back to the shore when his foot decided to cramp up. The uncomfortable and sharp pain made him wince and he ceased all movement. He couldn't put her down and have her walk back on her own. He was the one who brought her in this far so it was only fair if he carried her out. Besides, she could get sick if she stayed in soaked clothes for a prolonged period of time.

Arang noticed his strained and uneasy expression, and her eyebrows knitted together. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied through gritted teeth. Ignoring the pain, Taehyung managed to reach land. He set Arang back down and bit his bottom lip. His jaw was clenched as he quickly sat down and massaged the tensed foot.

"Oh my god," Arang gasped as she kneeled down in front of him. "You got a foot-cramp, didn't you? It felt like you were limping! Why didn't you say anything? You're such an idiot." She chastised as she pushed his hands away and carefully applied pressure to the bottom of his foot using her knuckles. Since her father moved around on his feet a lot for work, he's experienced a few horrible cases of foot-cramps which Arang always tended to.

"I didn't want you to walk back and get drenched even more. I don't want you to catch a cold." He remarked, his muscles relaxing.

"It doesn't matter if I got wet; you could have worsened it by trying to be a gentleman." Arang pointed out. "Don't do something like that ever again."

"But I thought girls liked stuff like that." Taehyung sighed.

"We do, but if you're hurt, you should say something. We don't like worrying just as much as you guys don't. We're not heartless monsters, you know. How does it feel now? Is it a little better?" The concern plastered all over her face had the corners of his lips etching upwards as he nodded. "Try standing and walking." Arang assisted him to his feet. There was still a tiny limp in his step and she exhaled. Guys and their ego. Arang walked behind him and slipped under his arm.

"W-what are you going?" Taehyung stammered as she coiled an arm around his waist.

"Helping you. What does it look like? Don't put so much pressure on it in case you irritate it some more." She advised, looking straight ahead.

Taehyung pulled her in closer and his smile widened when she didn't protest. "Whatever you say, doc."

After drying up a little, the two of them retrieved their belongings and waited for the taxi to fetch them. Back at the hotel, Arang was prodded to shower first, but only after some bickering of course. The hot water raining over her body removed any remnants of sand that might still be lingering on her skin as she closed her eyes. An image of her kiss with Taehyung flashed in her mind and she became bashful. Her fingers brushed up against her lips as she smiled.

She didn't hate kissing him. It was a little pleasant actually. She couldn't help but wonder when their next kiss would be and placed a hand over her buzzing heart. So this was what it was like. Having your feelings reciprocated sincerely and genuinely.

Once she washed the shampoo out of her hair, Arang turned the water off. She opened the door and reached out for the towel she thought she had carried in. When she didn't feel the cotton fabric, she stuck her head out and gasped. She had forgotten it on the bed along with her clothes! What was she thinking? Cursing under her breath, she glanced around to see if there were an extras around. There weren't. This meant she would have to ask Taehyung to bring it to her. She wasn't going to run out there naked!

She cracked the door open and scanned the room. He was nowhere in her line of sight. "Kim Taehyung?" She called. She received nothing in response. Did he leave the room? Arang hollered his name a second time, but it was dead silent. This left only one other alternative. She checked the room one more time to make sure the coast was clear before she threw the door open and dashed across to the bed. As fast as she could, she picked the towel up and wrapped it around her body.

The balcony door slid open right after and she whirled around, alarmed. "The view is amaz—" Taehyung found himself unable to finish his statement because he was greeted with the sight of a half-naked Arang. His chest started heaving up and down in a jagged pattern while his hormones started to multiply on their own.

Quickly, Taehyung averted his gaze. His thoughts were running wild. "I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't know!" He yelled, baffled. Not looking at where he was going, the boy bolted straight into the wall. He fell onto his back, landing with a loud thud and his face now aching.

Arang rushed over to him without hesitance. "Are you okay?" She asked as she patted his face. Taehyung peered up at her and swallowed. This was every guy's dream. Did he die and go to heaven already? "Kim Taehyung, can you hear me?" Arang began to panic. He hit the wall pretty hard. What if he sustained a concussion? Since he wasn't responding, she decided it was probably best to call the front desk and ask them to contact the nearest hospital.

Just as she was about to get up, Taehyung caught her wrist and tugged her back down. "Stay with me," he whispered breathlessly. Her lips fell on top of his while their bodies were pressed up against one another. He reveled in the sweet taste he was starting to get addicted to, and Arang could feel Taehyung's lips moving against hers.

It wasn't haste and sloppy, but oddly enough, it wasn't chaste and innocent either. It was a mixture of both. Taehyung placed a hand on her cheek and caressed it gently while the other cinched her waist. Instead of pulling away, she smiled and allowed his tongue to swipe across her bottom lip. He let out a soft moan and Arang's stomach churned.

She lied earlier.

Kissing him wasn't just a little pleasant.

It was absolutely and irrevocably wondrous.

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author's note

» ohhhhhhhh myyyyy gossssssssh. that last scene was just ummmmmmmmmmf. Let's be realistic here, they're two young adults who have their needs and have just realized they do like each other. Of course there will be some sexual tension between them! Taehyung was so cute though. I liked how Arang tried to be cool about the confrontation, but failed when he openly admitted he liked her. then him being supppppper flustered about her being half-naked and running into the wall hahahah.

to be honest, I was tempted to troll you guys by making the kiss from the last chapter an imagination but I figured that would be too cruel, especially after 45 chapters of waiting! their bantering was also adorable. It was them, don't you agree? please vote and leave your comments which will surely brighten my day! I hope this update made you smile.